By B S Prabhurajan
The stage is being prepared for the South India’s Kumbh Mela that attracts lakhs of devotees at the confluence of the Cauvery and Kapila and mythical Spatika Sarovara at Thiramakudalu Narasipura in Mysore district scheduled to be held between February 17 and 19.
Even as the Maha Kumbh Mela, reckoned as the largest gathering of people in the world, gets underway at Prayag in Allahabad, drawing the devout and the curious from all over the world, the South Indian Kumbh Mela began around 20 years ago and is held once in three years.
It coincides with the Kumbh Mela held in turns at Prayag (Allahabad), Nashik, Haridwar and Ujjain. The seers here decided to organise a similar congregation of people at T. Narsipura as it is reckoned to be as sacred as the Triveni Sangama at Prayag, given the confluence of three rivers, the Cauvery, Kapila and Spatika Sarovara, which is invisible in the popular perception of the devout.
The objective is to provide an opportunity for the devotees in the region – who otherwise cannot go to north or central India – to participate in the religious congregation. The preliminary meeting for the 11th edition of Kumbh Mela was held in which Suttur seer Sri Deshikendra swamiji, pontiff of Adichunchanagiri Mut Sri Nirmalanandanatha swamiji and representatives of Ramakrishna Ashram apprised the district in-charge minister G.T. Deve Gowda of the event.
The minister said that there would be no dearth of funds and all administrative support for shoring up infrastructure for the smooth conduct of the South Kumbh Mela by the State government. He also said that about 20 lakh people were expected to visit to the event this time.
Visitors to the T. Narsipura Kumbh are definitely on the rise. From the feeble response it received in 1989, when it was first conceived, the numbers rose to nearly five lakh in 2013. The figure is expected to further rise this time.
The initiative to organise a Kumbh mela at T. Narsipura was taken by Shivaratri Deshikendra Swami of Suttur Math and late Sri Balagandaranath swamiji of Sri Adichunchanagiri mutt. According to them, the event would provide an opportunity for the devout in the Mysore region to participate in rituals such as taking a dip in the river during an auspicious time, as not many could participate in the Maha Kumbh.
As T. Narsipura is at the confluence of three rivers – the Cauvery, the Kapila and the mythical Spatika Sarovar – they ordained that the Kumbh Mela there would have the same sanctity as the one at Prayag, which is also considered a ‘Triveni Sangam’ (confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati).
The district administration is gearing up for the event and a review meeting to oversee preparations has been held. With the state government providing support, focus would be on creating temporary toilets, sprucing up bathing ghats and making improvements to temples to host religious conferences and cultural events.
T. Narsipura, which is known as Dakshina Kashi, is also the site for Panchalinga Darshana, which draws large crowds. For the local community, despite the large crowds, such events are welcome as the infrastructure is being shored up. (UNI)
